Clean Up

I’m cleaning out my inbox, my drafts folder, and my Springpad account, and so here is a list of miscellany gathered from here and there for your edification and amusement—

Though wood has been the default material for homes in North America and elsewhere (though some places with a dearth of wood have traditionally preferred stone or other materials), it’s difficult to build a wooden house in a big city, as fire codes make it nearly impossible, which is too bad as wood has many things to recommend it: it’s easy to modify and repair, it’s a good insulator, and it has a fantastic range of texture and color.

Despite the dearth of contemporary wooden homes here, examples survive, and have a wonderful warmth and idiosyncrasy against the backdrop of the city of bricks & steel. Here is a blog is documenting New York’s surviving examples, with wonderful comparisons to historic photos:

I haven’t yet seen an alternative to incandescent bulbs that knocked my socks off (I’d rather retreat to candles & kerosene than use most of them), largely for one reason: quality of light. Until I see a compact fluorescent or LED that does, I’ll minimize their use in my own home. I tried a “full spectrum” CFL, and it gave off a terrible, sickly cold light. Yuck. If the quality of their light doesn’t bother you so much, here are some nicely designed ones:

OK, that’s enough for now. I’m going to get back to finishing up Project Neon work now. Enjoy your weekend!

This entry was posted
on Sunday, September 4th, 2011 and is filed under architecture, design.
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